“Okay, so I don’t talk about my brother often, so you guys haven’t heard this story but once I caught him with a small bag of weed. I promised I wouldn’t tell Mom, but only if he made me some of those pot brownies. Anyway, he agreed to do it, but then...”

  “You’ve tried weed?” Kate asked and leaned in on the table. “I once had the opportunity when I hung out with a group of older guys who offered me some. But I’m not stupid enough to do that to my body,” she declared and followed up with a snort.

  My eyes fell on Amy, who never got to finish her story. I felt bad for her. Sharing something personal with your friends only to be rudely interrupted had to sting, especially when Kate indirectly called her stupid.

  Empathy flared up in my chest when I recognized pain in Amy’s eyes.

  After Kate took another second to emphasize how she had made the right decision by declining the weed, I spoke up.

  “Amy, you were saying?”

  Amy’s face showed embarrassment now. “Oh, it’s fine, forget about it.” She waved her hand like it didn’t mean anything.

  The group conversation carried on but soon became boring with gossip about teachers and students, so after a while I stopped listening and zoned out. My mind went to the three candidates I had met before all this happened. They were extraordinary souls, and I hoped they would agree to become change makers.

  Feeling a light kick to my leg, I looked up to see Ebony with a questioning look.

  “What?” I muttered low.

  Her eyes went to Maddie, who was talking, and once I heard a few seconds, I understood why Ebony had wanted me to pay attention.

  “He’s so hot.” Maddie rolled her eyes in a theatrical way. “And I honestly think that he really likes me.”

  “That’s so cute, Maddie. You and Ty make such a great couple,” AJ said before stuffing her mouth with salad.

  “Thanks, girl.” She winked, puffing up her chest a bit. “We text all the time, but I told him I was hanging out with my girls tonight.”

  Leaning back in my seat, I thought back to Ty’s words from earlier today when he said he had told Maddie that they were done. Did Ty lie? Was he really the player he claimed not to be? Once again I missed being able to read people’s minds.

  “Are you sure?” Kate said, letting her voice crack in that weird way several of the girls did. “It’s just that when Ty and I text, he’s always busy watching or playing football. He never mentions hanging out with you.”

  Maddie narrowed her brows. “Well, that’s probably because he’s making excuses to brush you off. Why are you texting Ty anyway? I’ve told you he and I are a thing.”

  Everyone watched as Kate placed her crossed arms on the table and narrowed her eyes enough to signal a clear power struggle between them. “I asked him last week and he said you two weren’t dating, so one of you is lying.”

  Maddie was visibly upset, and her voice turned a bit shrill. “Why would we text and hang out all the time if we weren’t dating?”

  “When was the last time you hung out though?” Kate challenged.

  “Yesterday. He was watching a game but afterward he came to spend the whole afternoon with me.”

  A snicker escaped Ebony, causing everyone to turn their heads to her. Ty had been at the gym with Ebony and me yesterday afternoon and we both knew Maddie was lying.

  “What’s so funny?” Kate asked Ebony with a hard stare.

  “Nothing,” Ebony answered quickly and took another forkful of pasta, signaling that she had no further comments.

  While Maddie tried to convince everyone that she and Ty had something special, I took my empty plate to the kitchen.

  “Psst, Emma.” Ebony came trailing behind me into the kitchen.

  I leaned against the counter and watched her throw out her paper plate like I had just done.

  “Maddie is clearly lying. How come you didn’t say anything?” Her eyes searched my face. Maybe she was looking for a sign of anger, but she found none.

  “For the same reason you didn’t expose her. She’s already insecure and I have no need to call her out on her lie in front of her friends. They’ll figure that out for themselves.”

  Ebony nodded and looked back at the girls around the table. “I’m glad that I’m not in her shoes. It sucks to have a crush on a guy who doesn’t feel the same way.”

  “You’re right. She deserves someone who is crazy about her, and that person isn’t Ty.”

  After excusing myself to Ebony, I asked AJ for directions to their restroom.

  “The one by the entrance has a broken lock, but there’s another one down that hallway.”

  I headed the way she had pointed toward, and when I pulled out my phone there was a new text from Ty.

  Ty: I have considered it closely and I would still like to read thoughts. Specifically yours. Then I could figure out how to make you give me a chance.

  Me: Have you considered that if you could read thoughts, you might be disappointed? What would you do if you learned that my mind isn’t pure at all?

  It wasn’t until I finished washing my hands that a text from him popped up.

  Ty: Now you have me interested. On a scale from 1 to 10, how pure are your thoughts?

  Me: Hmm... are we even sure that your 10 is the same as mine?

  Ty: You have a point. 1 being never thinks about sex to 10 it crosses my mind daily.

  Me: Let me guess. You’re a 10?

  Ty: Me and every other guy that I know. You?

  I smiled and wrote a quick answer.

  Me: Probably around 7 or 8, which I would define as having a healthy curiosity about the subject.

  I didn’t wait to see his answer but ended the chat.

  Me: I should probably get back to the group. Talk to you later.

  Ty: Have fun and stay curious.

  As I headed out of the bathroom, I heard a bump followed by a deep groan. The sound came from a room where the door was ajar. I gave a small knock on the door and called out, “Is everything okay?”

  The voice of an old woman replied, “Anna Jane, is that you? Come help me please.”

  I opened the door to find a frail-looking old woman with a pale wrinkly face and thin white hair lying in a bed.

  My eyes fell to the floor where she had dropped her bottle of pills.

  “Do you want me to call AJ?” I asked the woman, who looked like a ghost whose color and life had left her.

  “Would you hand me my pills?” She spoke in a small voice and reached out her arm.

  Walking to her bedside, I bent down to pick up the bottle, and handed it to her.

  The old woman made an attempt at a chuckle. “Every time the door opens, I’m hoping it’s death coming for me.”

  Helping her reach her glass of water on the nightstand, I asked, “Why?”

  “Oh... I was once young like you but now everything hurts and I’m tired. I just want to sleep and never wake up.”

  After I helped her lift the glass so she could swallow her pills, I took a seat on the chair next to her bed and held the fragile old woman’s hand. “What’s your name?”

  “Bridget.” She gave me a tired but warm smile. “Are you one of Anna Jane’s friends?”

  “AJ and I play basketball together,” I replied and softly stroked her hand with empathy.

  “Oh, that’s nice. When she was little, I used to watch her play all the time, but since the stroke I can’t walk anymore.” She gave a tired sigh. “I used to be a runner myself. Every morning I would run three miles for years, but those days are long gone.” Her eyes had glazed over as if remembering better days. Snapping out of her nice memory, she patted my hand. “Oh, look at me keeping you from your friends.”

  “That’s okay. They won’t miss me. They’re much too busy talking about themselves to notice that I’m not there to listen.” Giving Bridget my full attention, I asked, “What has been your favorite part of your life?”

  Although it was hard for her to make many facial expressions, her eyes were glowing for a second. “The friendships and memories I made along the way. My husband and I lived a long life together. He was a good man.” Her eyes drifted to the ceiling with a soft expression. “Every time he saw a rose, he would always bring it to me. He did that from the time he was eighteen years old till the day he died. Sometimes he would get in trouble for it with the neighbors, but he just couldn’t help himself.”

  “Sounds like you two had a wonderful life together.” She gave my hand a light squeeze as I continued to stroke it.

  “We did, but he had stinky feet. I don’t miss that part.”

  We laughed together and Bridget told me a bit more about her life until her words turned drowsy and her eyes closed. I rose from the side of her bed where she slept with a light snoring.

  My thoughts silently went to Dion, hoping he would soon relieve her of her pain.

  I should have known not to think of him because soon his dark voice sounded in the bedroom.

  “How interesting!”

  I turned around to see his tall figure stepping out of the shadows. Dion took in Bridget in the bed and then his focus shifted to me. “What is the great Karma doing inside a mortal body?”

  “Hello, Dion. Are you here for Bridget?”

  His eyes were pale gray and stood in stark contrast to his dark brown hair. I had seen Dion in many shapes and bodies, but his eyes always gave him away. Right now, he appeared as a man around thirty-five with symmetrical features and a fit physique. Without making a sound, Dion came closer and reached his hand down to caress Bridget’s cheek. His expression hardened when his gaze turned back to me.

  “I came because you called for me. What I didn’t expect was to find you like... this.”

  “I’m sorting out a messy situation I created. I’ll be back home soon.”

  Dion watched me with interest. “It’s rare for you to call my name. Gaia does it on occasion but she usually just leaves me to pick up after one of her natural disasters, and Miracle...” He sighed, not breaking eye contact. “It seems like she can’t go a day without calling for me to spare someone’s life.”

  Dion took a step closer and lifted my wrist to look at the small scar from where Emma cut herself with the razor. “Hmm.”

  My heart was beating fast, as I worried that he knew how close Emma had come to ending her life. “I didn’t intend to call you. I was just wondering why you’re leaving Bridget to suffer when you’re usually very precise.”

  “Are you criticizing my work ethic?”

  “No, it’s just that Bridget said she was longing to leave her body and go home. She’s in a lot of pain.”

  Without glancing back at Bridget, Dion searched my eyes. “What’s it like?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Examining my wrist, he raised it to his face, and touched my skin. “Being inside a human. What’s it like?”

  “We’ve both lived many lifetimes, Dion. Why do you ask?” The thought hit me that maybe he would believe that I’d reincarnated and was living as Emma. A lifetime was nothing for someone as ancient as Dion.

  A smile tugged at the edges of his lips as he lowered his brow. “You don’t know, do you?”

  “Know what?”

  His face tilted to one side. “Ahh, to see you reduced to this.” His eyes ran up and down my body. “What happened to all your powers? You can’t read my mind, can you?”

  “No.” My lips flattened into a line.

  “Huh. But I can read yours.”

  That only made my mind speed up with all the things I wanted to hide from him. Emma’s suicide letter and my sloppy work that resulted in her wanting to end her life.

  Dion’s eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent oh.

  “Stop reading my mind. It’s impolite when I can’t read yours,” I protested.

  Clicking his tongue against his palate, Dion shook his head. “Karma, Karma, Karma. Did you think I wouldn't find out?”

  I scowled at him. “There are enough people for you to help cross over, like Bridget. Leave Emma alone!”

  “Ahh, but that’s not how it works, and you know it.”

  With neither of us breaking eye contact, our tempers clashed like fire and ice.

  “Don’t you dare touch her. I’ve worked too hard to clean up what I broke for you to come in and bring her home. Emma didn’t want to die. She was desperate and it was because I pushed her over the edge.”

  He stayed calm. “What gives you the right to fix your mistakes when all other beings have to live with the consequences of their actions? There are universal laws for a reason.”

  “Says the one who is supposed to understand duality better than any of us. Aren’t you the one who told me nothing is ever right or wrong? Can’t you be a little flexible?”

  His piercing gray eyes narrowed a bit. “That’s not my job. You’re the creative one. I like to provoke and philosophize.”

  “I feel bad for you, Dion. When was the last time you had any fun?” I took another step toward the door.

  “Maybe my fun is different from your fun.” He sighed. “I’m not a bad guy, Karma. People like Bridget call me the angel of mercy and beg for me to help them cross over.”

  I stopped on the opposite side of the bed. “I know that. But Emma didn’t want to die, she just wanted the pain to end. She would have regretted her choice if she had carried through.”

  “You’re wasting my time, Karma. If you hadn’t interfered, Emma would have crossed over. She made her choice!”

  In annoyance I walked back to stand in front of him and crossed my arms like I was setting up a protective wall in front of Emma. “You can’t take her while I’m in her body.”

  His tone was calm. “I’m aware, but you can’t stay in her body for long.” He leaned in and whispered close to my ear, “Emma will lose her mind if you stay.”

  Frustrated with his stubborn nature, I commanded, “Stay away from her, do you hear me?”

  He laughed “Why don’t you ask Miracle what happened when she tried to order me around?”

  My eyes widened in horror. “Did you hurt her?”

  “Miracle is so annoyingly hopeful and positive. I’d say her presence hurts me more if you count the headaches I get from her cheerful attitude.”

  “You getting a headache... I doubt it.”

  He tilted his head. “Figuratively speaking, of course.”

  “What did you do to Miracle?” My tone was demanding.

  I could tell Dion found this amusing from the way his eyes were shining. “I made her a deal.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “She wanted me to save a child’s life and I wanted something in return.”

  It annoyed me that I couldn’t read his mind and he knew it. “What?”

  Dion looked highly entertained. “A gentleman never kisses and tells.”

  I gaped, slowly starting to understand. “There’s no way.”

  His eyebrow arched up and his chin lifted. “You’d be surprised how many are attracted to my brooding personality.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “Not Miracle.”

  “I should be offended that you’re so surprised.” He lowered his head to look into my eyes. “But it’s been too long since Miracle begged me for anything the way she did with that child. Maybe she’ll go for another round to save this girl that you’re possessing.” A smug smile crept from his lips.

  I took a step back. “I’m not possessing Emma. I’m cleaning up the mess I made.”

  “So, you think that your little intervention will keep her from ending her life, do you? How do you know she won’t be back in the same situation as soon as you leave?”

  He’d verbalized my biggest fear, but I squared my shoulders. “She won’t!”

  “If she does, I’ll make sure that you don’t get a chance to mess with the universal laws again.”

  “So much for you being the angel of mercy.”

  He shrugged. “You might extend Emma’s life, but her coming with me is inevitable. The question is just how soon.”

  No one could upset me like Dion. He often argued with Gaia, Miracle, and me, and sometimes I got the feeling that he provoked us on purpose. As the ancient soul responsible for polarity, death fell under his responsibility.

  “Not until she’s lived a long life,” I argued. “Why don’t you help someone like Bridget instead of obsessing over Emma?”

  Looking back to the old woman in the bed, Dion assured me, “Don’t worry about Bridget. Her husband is waiting for her. She just needs to let go.”

  “She said that she longs for release.”

  “People say that, but...” Dion’s face turned to the door a second before it opened, and AJ’s mom walked in.

  “Oh.” She looked surprised to see me standing next to Bridget’s bed.

  “I was coming out of the bathroom when I heard her call out for help,” I quickly explained. “She had dropped her pills, so I gave them to her and stayed for a moment and talked to her, but she just fell asleep.”

  “That was so kind of you. My mom is very sick; she needs to rest. Why don’t you go back to the others?” She held the door open and followed me out.

  When I returned to the group, they had moved on to eat brownies, but they were still talking about boys.

  “Are you okay?” Ebony whispered when I sat down next to her.

  “Yeah, why?”

  She leaned toward me and whispered in a tone of concern. “You were in the bathroom for a long time. I thought you might have problems with your stomach.”

  I smiled at her. “I’m fine, just texting with my assistant coach.”

  The secretive smile on her face made me chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” Caroline asked.

  “Nothing. Emma just made a bad dad joke,” Ebony improvised. That made Caroline roll her eyes and return to the conversation with the other girls.

 

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